Magnetic stochasticity and transport due to nonlinearly excited subdominant microtearing modes

Journal Article · Tue Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4789448· OSTI ID:22113345

Hatch, D. R.; Jenko, F.; Doerk, H. ^[1]; Pueschel, M. J.; Terry, P. W. ^[2]; Nevins, W. M. ^[3]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, 85748 Garching (Germany)
2. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)
3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

Subdominant, linearly stable microtearing modes are identified as the main mechanism for the development of magnetic stochasticity and transport in gyrokinetic simulations of electromagnetic ion temperature gradient driven plasma microturbulence. The linear eigenmode spectrum is examined in order to identify and characterize modes with tearing parity. Connections are demonstrated between microtearing modes and the nonlinear fluctuations that are responsible for the magnetic stochasticity and electromagnetic transport, and nonlinear coupling with zonal modes is identified as the salient nonlinear excitation mechanism. A simple model is presented, which relates the electromagnetic transport to the electrostatic transport. These results may provide a paradigm for the mechanisms responsible for electromagnetic stochasticity and transport, which can be examined in a broader range of scenarios and parameter regimes.

• OSTI ID: 22113345
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
EXCITATION
FLUCTUATIONS
ION TEMPERATURE
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PARITY
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
SIMULATION
SPECTRA
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
TEARING INSTABILITY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TURBULENCE